A few places spring to mind.  One is Strong Opinions where he says to "Ignore allegories" (66).  The afterword to Lolita has "I detest symbols and allegories."   In Brian Boyd's biography there is a letter quoted concerning Invitation where he says something similar (Russian Years, 419).  I give a little (incomplete) list of such remarks in Style is Matter (115 ff.).  

Best,
Leland



Leland de la Durantaye
Gardner Cowles Associate Professor of English
Department of English 
Harvard University
Barker Center
12 Quincy Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
phone: (617) 496 4904
fax: (617) 496 8737



On Nov 20, 2008, at 10:17 PM, R S Gwynn wrote:

I recall reading some dismissive remarks that VN made about allegory as a literary mode, but I can't recall where.  Does anyone remember where this was?  Probably in the Lectures on Literature, but I just can't remember in what context he said these remarks.
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